One Little Word Linky {My Truth Monday- on Tuesday!}

I don't often delve into the "personal life" realm on my blog... gotta keep it teachy!

BUT... I did want to jump in on Sunny Days in Second Grade's My Truth Monday Linky Party {even though today is Tuesday!}.

My world has been turned upside down this month and I am so ready for 2014.  I took down my 2013 calendar about a week ago and put up a new one for 2014... that's how ready I am.  Though my world is still not back in a proper rotation, I am looking forward to 2014 and hoping things can settle back down... or just plain old even out.  I'd be happy with either one!

So... my one little word that I will be clinging to in the coming year is...

That's it folks.  Courage.  I need it!

Happy New Year to all of you, bloggy friends.  I promise I'll be back to blogging about normal things soon!

PS- Side note... click the pic below to find out about my "end of the year SALE-abration"!  It ends TONIGHT!

17 Days... and a Teacher's New Year's Resolutions... Oh, and a Sale!

Well, I haven't blogged in 17 days.  I can't believe it has been that long!

I have some "life" going on right now and just can't blog... but I wanted to pop on and say hello!  My TpT store will be on sale at 10% off starting tomorrow and ending on New Year's Eve.  My TN store is on sale TODAY until New Year's Eve!

Check out my TpT and Teacher's Notebook shops!

If you have any teacher's New Year's Resolutions... check out these products to help you stay on track!

Resolution #1- get ORGANIZED

Click the pic to check out fillable class grid "check lists".  I use mine every day to check things in and stay organized!

Resolution #2- collect more authentic, informative GRADES

Yeah, I know... who wants to collect MORE grades?!  These Snapshots make it so easy though!

Click the banner to check out "Snapshots!".  They are super quick, easy to grade and CCSS aligned to help guide and inform instruction... I give a grammar and comprehension Snapshot weekly and L-O-V-E them!  I have them available for 1st grade math and comprehension, 2nd grade math, comprehension, and grammar, and 3rd grade math, comprehension, and grammar too!

Resolution #3- do more WRITING

Click the picture to check out "The WRITE Stuff!" an easy to implement writing portfolio full of prompts for narrative, informative, and opinion writing!

Resolution #4- be more consistent with home-to-school COMMUNICATION

I do this in 2 ways... 1... super easy weekly newsletters!  Just click the picture to check them out.  They are fully customizable in Powerpoint.  It seriously takes me about 5 minutes at the end of the day each Friday to type up a newsletter for the next week.

Sometimes I copy comprehension bookmarks onto the back of the newsletters.  Then, families can read the newsletter then cut out a bookmark they can use during the week to help their child practice comprehension skills at home!  Click the pic below to check out 25 CCSS aligned reading bookmarks!

Last... Resolution #5... be more consistent and hold students accountable for HOMEWORK

We LOVE our "Homework Club" in my room.  My students work so hard to stay in the club.  I love that they are practicing skills at home and becoming self-motivated to work to achieve their goal of staying in the club.  Click the pic to learn more about it!

That's it!   I'm hoping to be able to be back in action in January!  Until then, send happy thoughts my way please!!!

Life Is Good {A Tote Bag Giveaway!}

So tonight a friend and colleague of mine and I went shopping for Christmas presents for one of our students.  We got the student some clothes, toys, and (of course!) something "Lions-y" since all three of us are HUGE fans.  While we were there, we ran into loads of other educators also shopping for students and families.  You could tell by the organized carts with stacks of necessities and the gobs of lists these good people were carrying around and checking off.  We even ran into my #1 blog stalker and her crew who were shopping for kiddos and families.  She had a cart full of food to make the holidays happy for the kids and families at her school.

It really made me think about how amazing teachers are.  I'm sure that you all are adopting kids for Christmas, donating money for kids at your school and around your area as well.  It made me smile, thinking about how much I love what I do.

So I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to thank YOU for all you are doing for kiddos as well by hosting a giveaway for the great folks at Life is Good.

They sent me this mug...

Do what you like, like what you do... ain't that the truth for us?  I love what it says on their website... "Spreading the Power of Optimism".  Sometimes it's hard in our jobs to stay optimistic!  We've got state and federal lawmakers without a CLUE telling us what to do in our classrooms, the millions of hats that we wear on a daily basis... worrying and thinking and planning and stressing... teaching really is a way of life more than a career!  But seeing so many teachers and educators out and about, shopping with their own money to bring holiday happiness to kids... now THAT'S optimism!  And that caring and kindness doesn't just stop and start during Christmas either... we are a different breed.

Life is Good would LOVE to send you this tote bag to help spread happiness and that message of positivity and optimism...

You can click the picture to learn more, check out the great gift ideas on their site (Christmas for your teacher friends is coming!), and see all of the things they have to offer!

Enter to win using the Rafflecopter widget below and I'll announce the winner next Wednesday!  Good luck... and keep spreading that optimism and holiday cheer!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Holidays Around the World *Super!* Giveaway!

Need a last minute plan for teaching Holidays Around the World?  Check out this giveaway with some fabulous TPT sellers! 

You could win these amazing products! 

The Teacher Cauldron's Unit

Caitlin Clabby's Unit

  

Jessica Tobin's Unit

Anna DiGilio's Unit

 

And Christina Bainbridge's {that would be me!} Bundle- PowerPoints and Flippy Books!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Post Rewind- Christmas Party Ideas Freebie! {And Important File UPDATE!}

Now that Thanksgiving is done and all of the left overs have been eaten, the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals have been had... it's time to start planning for class Christmas parties!  If you're looking for some new ideas, check out the free classroom guide that we put together at my blog... it's full of ideas from other bloggers!

Click the tape to head to that old post and get some new ideas!

If you have any of my Christmas Around the World files... the Flippy Books all got a huge facelift about three weeks ago.  And yesterday the PowerPoints all got additional info added as well as new timings, so they play a bit slower.

Or click the pic to check them out!

You'll need to go to your purchases at TpT to re-download the updates!

TpT eBook, New FREEBIE!, and Linky!

It's Wednesday!  That means the week is half over... and it's almost the weekend!

Today the TpT Winter Holiday eBooks were released and they are AH-MAZING!

Here's the link to the 3rd-6th grade book.  Every page has a bit of holiday advice and a freebie... have fun browsing!  Click the pic to download!

A bit THANK YOU to Rachel Lynette for compiling and editing this book!

Next... a new FREEBIE!  This one is a pretty dang good one, I think.  I am so thankful for the support of my teacher friends and bloggy friends that I wanted to share something great with you all for free!  Hence... "Worth 1,000 Words" was born!  This file is definitely worth downloading... I hope you will and hope you'll leave some feedback too!  Click the pic to check it out!

And, finally... a new linky party!  Now that the excitement of the TpT sale is over, I'm hoping you'll come check out the pics and link up your own to show off your beautiful home holiday decorations!  Don't feel like you have to include as many pics as I did... but I'd love to see a few and so would everyone else!  Click the pic to head over!

3rd Grade Math Snapshots are DONE!!!! {And a Sale!}

Do you hear that choir of heavenly angels singing?  I do.  It's because I just finished a pack of 44 CCSS aligned Math Snapshots for quick assessment in 3rd grade!

Smoke has been coming out of my brain for the last few hours as I worked to get this up during the sale so anyone who wants it can save some dough!

Find it on TpT!

I'll be listing an ULTIMATE 3rd grade bundle tonight too that has the 3rd grade math and 2nd/3rd comprehension and grammar!  I'll be getting that up as soon as I publish this post!  My hubby is listening to Ron Swanson funnies in the background and I'm laughing so hard!  I need to get off the computer and watch too!  {update:  Here's the link to the 3rd grade ULTIMATE bundle!}

With that said... did you know that there's a HUGE sale at TpT?!  Everything in my shop is 20% off and TpT is giving an extra 10% if you use the code CYBER when you check out.  Thanks to Krista Lyn for this cute cute graphic!

Find me on TpT!

Deck the Halls with TpT Linky Party

Happy Sunday!  Are you as excited as I am about the TpT Cyber Monday {and Tuesday!} sale?  My cart is full and so is my wishlist.  I can't wait to get my shop on!  EVERYTHING in my shop will be 20% off Monday and Tuesday... and if you use the code CYBER when you check out, TpT will give an additional 10% off of that... so everything's 28% off!!!!!

A bunch of bloggy friends are joining me in a fun linky to show off some TpT goodies to the tune of some favorite Christmas carols.  So... I bring you... Deck the Halls with TpT!

So... bring on the playlist!

I'm going to play three songs for you.

The first one is the seasonal favorite... The 12 Days of Common Core!

Find them all on TpT!

These Snapshots for grammar, comprehension, and math provide many more than just 12 days' worth of Common Core assessing!  Check them out for 1st (comprehension and math), 2nd (comprehension, math, and grammar), and 3rd (comprehension and grammar) in my TpT store.  Be sure to follow me on TpT to get updates when more subjects and grades are added!  I'm working on more Snapshots as we speak for other grades and subjects!

The next song is "I'm Dreaming of a Holiday Product".

Find the bundle and the individual banners on TpT!

This beautiful song is made even sweeter when the holiday product can help you decorate your classroom in less than 60 seconds.  This holiday bunting bundle helps me make my classroom festive and takes NO time now that I have made the banners.  Just print and assemble!

Check out these three laying on my living room floor!  The bundle includes banners for Christmas (and Winter!), Halloween (and fall!), Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter (and spring!), and a fun "Rock the Test" encouragement banner for testing days!

I'm not going to lie.  The next song on the play-list is actually a REMIX.  Originally I was going to share my Character Traits: Match It!  Prove It! pack... for the song "It's Beginning to Look a lot like Reading"... but {as I was driving home from buying my first ever pair of leggings yesterday} I started thinking about my writing packs and how much they have helped me organize and pin-point my writing instruction.  And how much I used to struggle with writing.  We always DID writing.  But I didn't TEACH writing.  Now I TEACH it and LOVE it!

So... the last song on my playlist is a REMIX.  It's called "It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Writing".

Narrative, Opinion, and Portfolio on TpT!

These packs are all Common Core connected.  The Narrative and Opinion provide lists of mentor texts, a basic instruction plan, activities to get students involved with the "nuts and bolts" of the type of writing, and opportunities for students to practice developing their writing and then write a final piece using everything they've learned during the study.

The "Write Stuff" is a year-long portfolio for narrative, opinion, and informational writing.  This is PERFECT to use after you've introduced each type of writing so that students can practice each type monthly.  Rubrics, student data sheets, and ways to get students involved in thinking about their writing all help make this pack a great way for students to see themselves grow as writers during the year!

Thanks for reading and "listening" along to my playlist... check out these other great blogs by clicking the links below!